Walk down N. Lombardy St. in the Fan District, and you’ll likely find ghosts. You’ll hear echoes. And if you listen close enough, you’ll understand the lingering power of Bogart’s, even though the doors of the restaurant and music venue have been shuttered since 2009.

Thanks to Bogart’s Ghost, an immersive experience launching this week, the spirit of Richmond’s underground music scene can still be found in hidden alleyways and around the corners of crumbling brick.

You see, places like Bogart’s refuse to die. It’s the kind of place that lives on through stories best told with a cigarette between your fingers and a glass of whiskey sweating in your hand.

Back in the 70s, when Bogart’s first appeared, the building at 203 N. Lombardy St. had already lived a dozen lives. Multiple grocery stores, a laundromat or two, and a handful of restaurants had all put up a good fight there. Then, something wild, something real, took root. They called it Bogey’s Back Room. And man, what a back room it was. A smoky, dim-lit refuge for the forgotten, the restless, and those who wanted to create.

Here, the walls soaked up the jazz that poured out of callused hands and cracked lips. Bogart’s wasn’t just a venue; once you discovered its hidden back room, it became an unforgettable experience. The kind where, if you weren’t careful, you’d forget what year it was or what you’d done with the last six hours of your life.

It’s hard to imagine now, but this was a time without Instagram filters or influencers. This was a grittier Richmond. It wasn’t flashy, and it sure as hell wasn’t commercial. This was a city that lived and breathed music the way a weathered boxer welcomes hard punches – relentless, painful, but so damn alive. And Bogart’s? It was Richmond’s ring.

The musicians who played in the back room were masters of their craft – artists in every sense. They were hungry for something sacred, something raw. And it’s for these reasons that Bogart’s Ghost haunts us.

Richmond’s music scene has since evolved, no doubt. But its core, its soul, remains tethered to that Back Room at Bogart’s. So, it’s fitting that a scrappy group of musicians, technologists, and dreamers are now breathing new life into this old spirit. Determined to keep its rebellious heart intact, Bogart’s Ghost now serves as a love letter to the old dusty venue that shaped generations of musicians.

Developed by For The Record, Inc. in collaboration with Recursive Arts, Bogart’s Ghost is as much an ode to memory as it is a testament to the heart of today’s local musicians. Founders of For The Record, Inc., including Art 180 Program Director Maurice Leoni-Osion and multidisciplinary teaching artist Margaux LeSourd, bring their love for underground music, tech-assisted outdoor recreation, and community building to the project. We’re talking geolocation tech and augmented reality combined with old-school storytelling to bring hyper-local music to life.

In many ways, Bogart’s Ghost is the best of both worlds. As a web app created by musicians with a deep connection to Richmond, the platform offers an immersive audio walk through of the Fan District that taps into collective memories as the backdrop for a powerful music discovery experience.

Here’s how it works.

All you need to participate is a smartphone – and then head to fortherecord.quest/player. Using sound and technology to create augmented reality playscapes, Bogart’s Ghost is, at its core, a choose-your-own-adventure gem hunt. Prompted by movement and location, each choice in this immersive audio experience sets off a unique course within a maze of ever-expanding and evolving connections. Guided by local music and exclusive artist interviews, it’s a rare audio gem filled with stories and music from Butcher Brown’s Tennishu, Reggie Pace of No BS Brass, Miramar’s Laura Ann Singh, and more. Participants can collect and share what they hear along the way by creating their own mixtape – an aural history of their journey – right within the web app.

As a co-founder of For The Record, Inc., LeSourd says Bogart’s Ghost is just the beginning, and more immersive experiences are in the works. She notes that it was fitting for Bogart’s to be the first. “Memory echoes through the songs and stories of musicians who once graced its stage – it’s a palpable energy, like spirits in a state of unrest,” she explains.

LeSourd adds that the goal of For the Record is to find new ways to re-orient others to “a more reciprocal and balanced mode of patronage, promotion, and partnership that puts quality art, storytelling, and relationships at its center.”

Ultimately, Bogart’s reminds us to get out there. Move around. And not to be afraid of exploring hidden alleys, unlikely places, and the back rooms where art is made and memories are created.

Get started at fortherecord.inc. And don’t miss your chance to win two tickets to Butcher Brown at The National by playing Bogart’s Ghost Gem Hunt: Trick-or-Treat edition! The contest is open now through November 1st. Click here for more details at fortherecord.inc.